Companies that try to implement a significant change are successful only about three times out of ten. Just let that statistic sink in for a moment. As a leader managing change, it’s clear the odds aren’t in your favor. We say this not to discourage you, but because it’s important to know what you’re up against. Once you acknowledge the difficulties, you can begin to address them so your initiative becomes one of the 30% that does succeed.
One of the biggest challenges leaders face in managing change is dealing with the uncertainty it produces.
The conventional wisdom is that many changes do not fail because of resistance. Yet we found that this is often not the case. Our recent survey found that most employees understand the need for change and believe people can overcome their fear of change. It seems to be less about resistance and more about employee uncertainty that derails change initiatives. Employees and even managers are reluctant to commit because they fear the unknowns. Leaders can help the rest of your workforce overcome this by clearly communicating and responding to concerns throughout the process.
Here are five critical questions you need to answer as a leader to build your team’s confidence before, during, and after the transition.
